Hydrangea plant named ‘HorAbstra’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant named ‘HorAbstra’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; black-colored stems; strong and dark green-colored leaves; and large lacecap-type inflorescences with dark pink-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Hydrangea macrophylla.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HORABSTRA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant, botanically known as Hydrangea macrophylla and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘HorAbstra’.

The new Hydrangea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new container-type Hydrangea plants with attractive foliage, stem and flower coloration.

The new Hydrangea plant originated from a cross-pollination in August, 2002 of a proprietary selection of Hydrangea macrophylla identified as code number 115-9711, not patented, as the female, or seed parent and an unnamed proprietary selection of Hydrangea macrophylla, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hydrangea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor during the summer of 2004 as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by softwood cuttings in Dresden, Germany since 2005 has shown that the unique features of this new Hydrangea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘HorAbstra’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘HorAbstra’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Black-colored stems.     -   3. Strong and dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Large lacecap-type inflorescences with dark pink-colored         flowers.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more vigorous than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have black-colored stems whereas         plants of the female parent selection have green-colored stems.     -   3. Plants of the new Hydrangea have dark pink-colored flowers         whereas plants of the female parent selection have light         pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more vigorous than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have lacecap-type inflorescences         whereas plants of the male parent selection have mophead-type         inflorescences.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of Hydrangea ‘Nigra’, not patented. Plants of the new Hydrangea differ primarily from plants of ‘Nigra’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea have longer internodes than         plants of ‘Nigra’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have lacecap-type inflorescences         whereas plants of ‘Nigra’ have mophead-type inflorescences.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Hydrangea have larger sepals         than flowers of plants of ‘Nigra’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the unique appearance of the new Hydrangea plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Hydrangea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘HorAbstra’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical lateral branch and inflorescence of ‘HorAbstra’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and in the following description were grown during the summer and autumn in Grand Haven, Mich. in an outdoor nursery and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions. Plants of the new Hydrangea were three years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical description: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘HorAbstra’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Hydrangea             macrophylla identified as code number 115-9711, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Hydrangea macrophylla, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 18 days at temperatures of             about 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About two months at             temperatures of about 24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to thick; creamy white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form/growth habit.—Perennial shrub; upright and mounded             plant habit; broadly inverted triangle; freely branching             habit; strong lateral branches; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 60 cm.         -   Plant diameter or area of spread.—About 25 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 45 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 9 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Strength: Strong. Color: Close to 202A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 14.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 8 cm.         -   Shape.—Broadly ovate.         -   Apex.—Broadly acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse to cuneate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; rugose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 136A; venation, close to 137C. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; midrib, close             to 187A; lateral venation, close to 137C.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 187A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single sterile and fertile flowers             arranged on terminal lacecap-type panicles; fertile flowers             face mostly upright and sterile flowers face upright to             outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from June to             September in Grand Haven, Mich.; early flowering habit,             plants begin flowering about eleven weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity, fertile flowers.—Flowers last about three             weeks on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower longevity, sterile flowers.—Flowers last about one             month on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; about 237 fertile             flowers and about 26 sterile flowers per panicle.         -   Panicle height.—About 10 cm.         -   Panicle diameter.—About 16 cm.         -   Flower diameter, fertile flowers.—About 1.4 cm.         -   Flower depth (height), fertile flowers.—About 8 mm.         -   Flower diameter, sterile flowers.—About 6 cm.         -   Flower depth (height), sterile flowers.—About 5 cm.         -   Flower buds, fertile and sterile flowers.—Length: About             4 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape: Obovate. Color: Close to             66D.         -   Petals, fertile flowers only.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in             a single whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm to             4 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 66D.             Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 66D;             towards the margin, close to 155D.         -   Sepals, fertile flowers.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a             single whorl. Length: About 0.5 mm. Width: About 1 mm.             Shape: Broadly acute to deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 187C.         -   Sepals, sterile flowers.—Quantity/arrangement: Four in a             single whorl. Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Shape:             Broadly obovate. Apex: Obtuse to retuse. Base: Cuneate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 57C. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 66D.         -   Peduncles, fertile and sterile flowers.—Angle: Erect to             about 20° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Length: About             5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 187C.         -   Pedicels, fertile flowers.—Angle: About 20° to 30° from             vertical. Strength: Strong. Length: About 4 mm. Diameter:             About 2 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 187C.         -   Pedicels, sterile flowers.—Angle: About 30° from vertical.             Strength: Strong. Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 187C.         -   Reproductive organs, fertile flowers only.—Stamens: Quantity             per flower: About six. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther             shape: Oblong. Anther color: Close to 198C. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 198C. Pistils: Pistil             quantity per flower: About two. Pistil length: About 1.5 mm.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 66D. Style             length: About 2 mm. Style color: Close to 66D.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Hydrangea. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hydrangea. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have been shown     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about −25° C. to about     38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Hydrangea plant named ‘HorAbstra’ as illustrated and described. 